1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a configuration technique of a communication parameter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In using wireless communication represented by wireless LAN (local area network) that conforms to the IEEE 802.11 standards, users need to set many items in advance.
For example, the users need to set communication parameters necessary in wireless communication. The parameters include, for example, SSID (Service Set Identifier) as a network identifier, a cryptographic method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key. It is extremely inconvenient for the users to manually set all the items.
On the other hand, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which is an industry standard for autoconfiguration of wireless apparatuses, has been standardized. Since the WPS simplifies setting of communication parameters, it is introduced into many wireless apparatuses nowadays.
An example of autoconfiguration of the communication parameters by WPS is discussed in Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ for Wi-Fi Protected Setup Easing the User Experience for Home and Small Office Wi-Fi (R) Networks (http://www.wi-fi.org/files/kc/20090123_Wi-Fi_Protected_Setup.pdf).
According to the above-described autoconfiguration, either an access point (base station) or an apparatus that can communicate with the access point serves as an apparatus that provides a communication parameter. This apparatus that provides a communication parameter is hereinafter referred to as a providing apparatus. An apparatus that receives a communication parameter is temporarily connected to an access point by wireless connection and receives a communication parameter from the providing apparatus. The apparatus that receives the communication parameter is hereinafter referred to as a receiving apparatus. According to the WPS, the providing apparatus is called a “registrar” and the receiving apparatus is called an “enrollee”.
A receiving apparatus that is temporarily connected to an access point by wireless connection in order to receive a communication parameter from the providing apparatus according to the WPS will now be described.
In this case, an access point that is necessary in wireless communication between the providing apparatus and the receiving apparatus needs to be selected from among nearby access points.
However, a method for automatically selecting an access point that is necessary in wireless connection from among nearby access points is not determined by the WPS.
For example, if the receiving apparatus is randomly connected to a plurality of nearby access points, it will take a long time before the receiving apparatus is connected to the desired access point. Further, a method is possible that realizes wireless communication with an access point that is communicatable with a providing apparatus that is running autoconfiguration processing according to WPS. However, since some providing apparatuses do not start the autoconfiguration processing unless the presence of the receiving apparatus is recognized, such a method is not practical.
Conventionally, an access point used for wireless connection is manually selected from nearby access points by the users and there has been a strong demand for improving the working efficiency.